Pixsy Inc is a licensing and copyright agent for photographers and artists. If our Case Management Team wrote to you, one of our clients' images was found on a website or account linked to you, with no license for that use. Your Unauthorized Use letter (sometimes referred to as a demand letter) has a case reference number and a link to your case in our Case Portal, where you can see the evidence and resolve it.
Using a photo without the owner's permission is copyright infringement. It doesn't matter whether the image came from searching the web, downloading from a page, or a staff member who didn't get a license before publishing: whoever publishes it is responsible for licensing it. Photographers lose real income when their work is taken, and they are entitled to be paid for it. Most cases settle within a few weeks with a single license payment, without going to court.
Is this letter real or a scam?
It's real. Pixsy Inc was founded in 2014 and has handled more than 250,000 copyright cases for over 150,000 photographers and artists in 72+ countries. We have offices in California, Berlin, London and Sydney, and work with 30 partner law firms worldwide.
Pixsy is a member of numerous photography industry professional associations and works with them to promote education and photographers' legal rights. See our partners.
Before a letter goes out, our team checks the use and the photographer confirms they own the image and never licensed it to you. The photographer has appointed Pixsy as their exclusive agent for the case.
To check your letter is genuine:
- Your letter or email has its own unique case link on my.pixsy.com, showing the same case number as your letter. There's no general login page.
- The email comes from a pixsy.com address.
- We only take payment through the Case Portal or by bank transfer to an account in the name of Pixsy Inc.
Still unsure? Contact us through pixsy.com/contact, reply to the email, and quote your case number.
What's in a Pixsy letter?
Every Unauthorized Use letter and report has the same five parts, and all of them are also in your Case Portal.
- The letter: who we act for, why we contacted you, the license fee and the deadline to pay it.
- Case Overview: where the image was found (page URL and capture date), the original image (title, date created, where the photographer first published it) and the license terms.
- Evidence Report: screenshots and records of the use, and confirmation of the photographer's ownership.
- Invoice: the fee, the 21-day due date, your case number as payment reference, and how to pay.
- FAQ: answers to the questions people ask most, also covered below.
The license covers the use already found. A license to keep using the image is optional.
How do I respond to a Pixsy letter?
Open your case in the Case Portal, check the evidence, then either send us your license or pay the retroactive license fee before the deadline. That closes the case and grants you a legally binding license for your use of the image.
- Open the Case Portal link in your letter and read the Case Overview and Evidence Report.
- If you already have a license for this image and this use, reply with a copy and tell us where and how you got it. If it covers the use, we close the case.
- If you don't, pay the license fee by the deadline in your letter (21 days from the invoice). Pay by card or PayPal in the Case Portal, or by bank transfer (ACH or wire) using your case number as the reference.
- Prefer to spread the cost? Set up an installment plan yourself in the Case Portal by credit card: 2 or 3 payments, weekly or monthly.
- Once payment is received, you get a payment confirmation and a binding license agreement by email within 5 business days.
The fee is fixed at fair market value (based on the client's licensing history and your use of the work), so we don't discount it. But we will work with you on timing.
How is the license fee worked out?
The fee is what this use would have cost to license properly. We price it on four things: where the image was used, the type of use (commercial or editorial), how long it was used and how large it was shown. We also look at the photographer's own licensing history and standard pricing indexes for visual work, such as fotoQuote.
It can be higher than a similar image on a stock site. Many professional photographers don't sell through stock because it undercuts their work, so stock prices don't apply to them.
What happens if I ignore a Pixsy letter?
The case doesn't go away. The license fee is only on offer until the deadline in your letter. After that, the photographer can pass the case to one of our partner law firms in your country, which can claim actual or statutory damages plus legal costs, usually far more than the license.
Copyright is strict liability: you're liable for the use whether or not you knew the image was protected. In the US, statutory damages can reach $150,000 per work for willful infringement. Replying early and paying a license fee is almost always the cheapest and fastest way out.
I removed the image. Is the case closed?
No. Taking the image down stops further infringement, which we appreciate, but it doesn't cover the time it was already used. That past use still needs a retroactive license.
Common questions
I found the image on Google or social media. Isn't it free to use?
No. Google and image sites warn that images may be subject to copyright, and nearly every image online needs a license before you use it. Finding it in a search result doesn't give you permission.
There was no watermark or copyright notice.
That doesn't matter. Copyright exists from the moment a photo is taken or an artwork is made, with or without a watermark or notice.
It was only posted in a Facebook group or on social media.
Posting an image to a group, page or profile still publishes it, and that use needs a license like any other. The Case Overview shows exactly where and when we found it.
Our web designer, agency or a staff member added it.
The business that publishes the content is responsible for licensing it. If someone else supplied the image, settle the case with us and then take it up with them. We can give you a case summary to share.
The image is Creative Commons.
Creative Commons licenses only allow use if you follow their terms, such as credit and non-commercial use. Break the terms and the license no longer applies, so the use is infringement. See creativecommons.org/licenses.
Pixsy isn't a law firm. Can it take legal action?
Pixsy is the photographer's authorized agent and handles the case for them. If a case can't be settled with a license, it goes to one of our 30 partner law firms, who act for the photographer in court if needed.
Is Pixsy a copyright troll?
No. We act only for the photographers and artists who own the work, and every case is checked by a human case manager before a letter goes out. The fee is a license at the photographer's market rate, and if you show us a valid license, we close the case.
Can I contact the photographer directly?
No. The photographer has appointed Pixsy as their exclusive agent and asked to be left out of direct contact. We can't share their personal details, but we pass your messages on when needed.
Will my business insurance cover this?
It might. Some business liability policies cover license fees like this, so check with your insurer.
Talk to our case team
Reply to the email you received and keep your case number in the subject, or contact us through pixsy.com/contact with your case number. Your case manager will get back to you within 3-5 business days.
Can't find your case link? Reply to the original email with your case number and we'll help.